Singapore Solutions

UPDATE: Sharjah finalises its LNG-import plans

Sharjah is firming up its plans to import gas for power generation, on course to become the third state within the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to join the LNG-importers’ club and to deploy the country’s fourth floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), but has not yet fixed a vessel.

SNOC and Uniper have formed a joint venture to import up to 4 million tonnes a year of LNG from early 2019. Uniper will deliver LNG to an FSRU moored at Hamriyah that will pump gas into the national grid. However, it has yet to charter a vessel to support the project.

Sharjah National Oil (SNOC) has signed a gas-sales agreement with Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA) to supply natural gas to three SEWA power stations.

Announcing the deal with SEWA, SNOC chief executive Hatem al-Mosa said the project aims to “close the gas supply-demand gap in Sharjah and the northern emirates, with room for expansion to support energy demand across the country for many years to come”.

Correction: Uniper and OLT say Sharjah has not chartered Italy-based FSRU Toscana. FSRU Toscana imports LNG for Italy’s OLT Offshore Toscana, a joint venture between Uniper Global Commodities, the Iren Group and Golar Offshore Toscana Ltd. FSRU Toscana is moored 22km offshore, between Livorno and Pisa, supplying some 3.75 billion m³ of LNG a year. There are no plans to move the vessel to the Middle East. We apologise for the confusion.